Expandable ablation mechanisms for shunting catheters

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems, apparatus, and methods for creating a shunt in a patient. In some embodiments, a shunting catheter includes a puncture element and an expandable ablation mechanism for creating the shunt in the patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A shunting catheter, comprising:
 a catheter shaft including a shaft lumen; 
 an ablation shaft disposed in the shaft lumen at a first state and extended from the catheter shaft at a second state; and 
 an ablation mechanism disposed on the ablation shaft and expandable at the second state, the ablation mechanism comprising a plurality of expandable struts; 
 wherein the ablation mechanism is configured to receive energy from an energy source and deliver ablation energy to a target location of a patient; 
 wherein the catheter shaft defines a first axis, the ablation shaft defines a second axis at the second state, and the second axis and the first axis form an angle greater than zero degrees. 
 
     
     
       2. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of expandable struts are configured to act as electrodes and deliver the ablation energy to the target location of the patient. 
     
     
       3. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the ablation mechanism further comprises an electrode disposed on at least one of the plurality of expandable struts and configured to deliver the ablation energy to the target location of the patient. 
     
     
       4. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of expandable struts comprise braided wires. 
     
     
       5. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the ablation mechanism comprises a laser-cut tube, the laser-cut tube configured to be extended from the ablation shaft at the second state, wherein the plurality of expandable struts are disposed at an end of the laser-cut tube. 
     
     
       6. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of expandable struts are self-expandable at the second state. 
     
     
       7. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising an actuator being actuatable to expand the ablation mechanism. 
     
     
       8. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of expandable struts comprise at least one selected from a group consisting of nitinol, stainless steel, titanium, platinum-iridium, and cobalt-chromium. 
     
     
       9. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising a puncture element disposed proximate to a distal end of the ablation mechanism, the puncture element configured to puncture an opening at the target location of the patient. 
     
     
       10. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , further comprising a puncture element disposed proximate to a distal end of the ablation mechanism, the puncture element configured to deliver the ablation energy at an opening at the target location of the patient. 
     
     
       11. The shunting catheter of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the ablation mechanism comprises an insulating coating configured to inhibit transmission of the ablation energy therethrough. 
     
     
       12. A method for creating a shunt, comprising:
 deploying a shunting catheter in a first state, the shunting catheter comprising:
 a catheter shaft including a shaft lumen, the catheter shaft defining a first axis; 
 an ablation shaft disposed in the shaft lumen at the first state; 
 an ablation mechanism disposed on the ablation shaft and comprising a plurality of expandable struts; 
 
 disposing the shunting catheter proximate to a target location of a patient; 
 operating the shunting catheter to a second state, wherein the ablation shaft and the ablation mechanism extend from the catheter shaft and the ablation shaft defines a second axis at the second state, and the second axis and the first axis form an angle greater than zero degrees; 
 expanding an opening at the target location of the patient by expanding the plurality of expandable struts; and 
 delivering ablation energy via the ablation mechanism to the target location of the patient. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein delivering the ablation energy comprises delivering the ablation energy via the plurality of expandable struts to the target location of the patient. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the ablation mechanism further comprises an electrode connected to the plurality of expandable struts, and wherein delivering the ablation energy comprises delivering the ablation energy via the electrode to the target location of the patient. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein expanding the plurality of expandable struts comprises permitting the plurality of expandable struts to self-expand. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein permitting the plurality of expandable struts to self-expand comprises retracting a crimping shaft from the plurality of expandable struts. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the shunting catheter further comprises an actuator, and wherein expanding the plurality of expandable struts comprises actuating the actuator to expand the plurality of expandable struts. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the shunting catheter further comprises a puncture element disposed proximate to a distal end of the ablation mechanism, and further comprising puncturing, using the puncture element, the opening at the target location before expanding the opening by expanding the plurality of expandable struts. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the shunting catheter further comprises a puncture element disposed proximate to a distal end of the ablation mechanism, and further comprising forming the opening by delivering ablation energy to the target location of the patient via the puncture element before expanding the opening by expanding the plurality of expandable struts. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the target location is at a coronary sinus of the patient. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the target location is at an atrial septum of the patient. 
     
     
       22. A shunting catheter system, comprising:
 a shunting catheter, comprising:
 a catheter shaft including a shaft lumen; 
 an ablation shaft disposed in the shaft lumen at a first state and extended from the catheter shaft at a second state; 
 an ablation mechanism disposed on the ablation shaft, the ablation mechanism comprising a plurality of expandable struts defining an expandable cage; 
 
 an energy source connected to the shunting catheter; and 
 a controller connected to the energy source and comprising a processor; 
 wherein the processor is configured to control the energy source to deliver ablation energy to a target location of a patient via the ablation mechanism; 
 wherein the catheter shaft defines a first axis, the ablation shaft defines a second axis at the second state, and the second axis and the first axis form an angle greater than zero degrees. 
 
     
     
       23. The shunting catheter system of  claim 22 , wherein the ablation energy comprises at least one of radiofrequency (RF) energy, phased RF energy, cryogenic energy, thermal energy, pulse energy, laser energy, ultrasound energy, microwave energy. 
     
     
       24. The shunting catheter system of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of expandable struts act as electrodes and are configured to deliver the ablation energy to the target location of the patient. 
     
     
       25. The shunting catheter system of  claim 22 , wherein the ablation mechanism further comprises an electrode connected to the expandable cage and configured to deliver the ablation energy to the target location of the patient. 
     
     
       26. The shunting catheter system of  claim 22 , wherein the ablation mechanism comprises a laser-cut tube, the laser-cut tube configured to be extended from the ablation shaft at the second state, wherein the plurality of expandable struts are disposed at an end of the laser-cut tube. 
     
     
       27. The shunting catheter system of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of expandable struts are self-expandable at the second state. 
     
     
       28. The shunting catheter system of  claim 22 , wherein the shunting catheter further comprises an actuator being actuatable to expand the expandable cage. 
     
     
       29. A shunting catheter, comprising:
 a catheter shaft including a shaft lumen, the catheter shaft defining a first axis; 
 an ablation shaft disposed in the shaft lumen at a first state and extended from the catheter shaft at a second state, the ablation shaft defines a second axis at the second state, and the second axis and the first axis form an angle greater than zero degrees; and 
 an ablation mechanism disposed on the ablation shaft and expandable at the second state, the ablation mechanism comprising a plurality of expandable struts; 
 wherein the ablation mechanism is configured to receive energy from an energy source and deliver ablation energy to a target location of a patient; 
 wherein the ablation mechanism further comprises an electrode disposed on at least one of the plurality of expandable struts and configured to deliver the ablation energy to the target location of the patient; 
 wherein the plurality of expandable struts are self-expandable at the second state.